AMAZONIAN

In a word; No. Distilled water has: "NO ACIDITY"----"NO ALKALINITY"----pH IS EXACTLY 7", (NEUTRAL)----"IT HAS NO CONDUCTIVITY", (Siemens)----"NO DISSOLVED GASES:" "IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN IT". Distilled water is totally inert and the purest form of H2O you can get, and as I stated in my earlier post; :roll: DISTILLED WATER AS SUCH, DOESN'T HAPPEN IN NATURE. IT IS THE PRODUCT OF SCIENCE IF YOU LIKE. :-?

Hi Ira Thanks for the Science Lesson. Unfortunately most of the world's hobbyists don't have the luxury of a laboratory for a fish room. Fortunately for me, I do have a laboratory at my disposal and also have laboratory equipment at my home..... I can use any of 7 different condensers to achieve distilled water of differing qualities and grades. Distilled water is exactly what it is called. It hasn't picked up any pollen or dust particles, or "NOXIOUS" gases, or anything else that helps to form "SMOG" on the way to earth from the clouds in which it was generated. IT IS NOT TO BE USED SOLELY TO FILL A FISH TANK TO KEEP FISH IN. This will start a lot of comment and critisism and that is good. I look forward to being made out that I don't know what I am talking about, but I say as I know to be correct.

Anybody that uses pure distilled water to completely fill a tank is asking for trouble. Just remember> "A FISH TANK REPLICATES A SECTION OF A BIOTOPE" and distilled water just don't happen in Nature. :lol: Use distilled water to adjust pH up or down or to alter hardness; BUT NOTHING ELSE.

It is with much sadness that I have to advise that my Female Altum Angel has passed over to the big Aquarium in the sky. I have a good memory picture of her in my AVATAR. She has left me with a last brood of fry that are now 5 weeks old and doing well. Dad is lost and didnt know what had happened as they were together for a long time. He has now got some company albeit a few tuxedo Hi Fin Swords.

I'm leaving Nelson at about 10:30 am so I wont be too far apart from Warren. I should be in Blenheim about 12:15 all going well. Christchurch at around 5:15 - 5:45pm Good luck Errol TASMAN AQUARIUM CLUB

We all have our choices of product. :roll: And this isn't a push for commercial purposes. :oops: It may be availability, it may be ease of use, it may be price, or it may be commercial; but whatever type you use make sure the glass is clean before you apply it. I have had too many "Home Handymen" come and say that the silicone has got some blisters under it, or it is starting to lift when I clean the tank. I stated before that I use "Dow Corning 732" and I believe that you get what you pay for as I haven't yet had a bad join ever in 34 years of tank making. I did use another silicone before the Dow Product but it went off the market as the firm fell apart with the Directors going their own ways. But I believe that it has just come back on the market for commercial applicators. The ease of use of this product is astounding; the fillet coves just flow as the viscosity is far better than anything that is available, including Dow's 732. I am trying to get it again, and if succesful I will list it on the forum's Private Trade & Exchange, because I believe this product is "2nd to None".

Keep up the good work. They are coming on a treat and are "Lookin Good".

Go for the "SELLEY'S It's not the "Best" but it is by far the most universal and cheapest at Mitre Mega, Bunnings, Placemakers etc. I've made over 100 tanks with it and it is ok. The only problem I have had is not having the glass perfectly clean before you apply the glue. I use "Meth's" now to clean the joint lines before applying the silicone or it can blister and lift after a few months. You could use Dow Cornings RTV732 but it is about $18.00 a cartridge.

Congratulations for the efforts of the Wairarapa Club in staging the "Livebearer Show." I was going to enter; but due to Whatever cause I had a lot of fishies die including some of my "Breeding" Hi Fin Tux Swords which I was going to enter. Never mind, I still travelled as the bookings were made and it was definitely a worthwhile trip. 8) Just seeing the staging setup was a credit to the organisers and I personally thank all those who took the trouble to exhibit their fish and make it a great show. Disappointed that the store hadn't taken a bit of a gamble and stocked up on good and unusal fish due to there being so many hobbyists there. but taken as a big picture; a very enjoyable and pleasing look. Once again; Congratulations to the organisers and entrants. Congratulations to the CLASS Winners and comiserations to the rest.

I'll be there as well................................ 8) :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

It is written, that the parenting instinct is so strong that if she was to loose her fry, and you put Daphnia into the tank she would herd the Daphnia as though it was her fry. 8) She will also take on the eggs and fry of another dwarf. The book doesn' t say which dwarf's she would tend, but I suspect other N. annomalus. Go for it. :lol: Good luck.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Dont think you've got out of handing the cigars out too soon. I have had a pair of fish spawn and within 2hrs they moved the eggs to another site. They stayed at that site for a day and once again were on the move. keep a regular check on them. As the parenting instinct with N. annomalus is extremely strong, she wont give up on her eggs or fry, just keep the live food up to her. Keep me in mind when you're selling. 8)

Go for it, I'd suggest taking the "dad" out for his own safety. Like the missus, :oops: Mum can be a bit stroppy.. I hope there are eggs there for you ktttk as a spawning so soon after purchase is always a bonus.. The water change was probably sufficient to trigger the urge. Good luck, and keep the "CIGARS" handy. :lol:

Well MRSkz, thanks for that. It seems that it's not only me that cares for our charges and I am definitely not alone. We have to educate the unwashed and teach them that without hobbyists there would be no need for their LFS. :roll: ITS TIME THE "LFS OWNERS" SAT UP AND TOOK A BIT OF NOTICE OF THE "SIGHTED AND KNOWING" :lol:

Hi all I have found, and confirmed over time that unless a LFS Owner is a hobbyist, they know absolutely nothing about fish in general (Zilch, zero, Jack Sh.t;) and that does not do the hobby any good at all. Also what came obvious (to me anyway) was that if the LFS owner talked to someone who had the "appearance of knowing something" (Talked a Good Story) about our scaled friends then that was accepted as gospel. :oops: That in its self is a backward step for the genuine hobbyists. To that end the word "CICHLID" conjures up a plethora of wrecked tanks killed fish, no plants and all the other stuff, we know, happens in a tank containing the "Large" cichlids. :roll: Unfortunately the "Dwarfs" have been thrown into the "Large" cichlid category and the LFS just wont accept that they are entirely different to the other's so they wont order them in to sell them. I personally find "Dwarfs" to be characters in their own right with their attitudes, and inquisitiveness. LONG LIVE "DWARF CICHLIDS"

You're upset caserole and you live in Welliebobs, near enough . So how do you think we feel in the South Island then.. I dont think anyone in the LFS here in the "Top of the South" would have any idea what a Dwarf Cichlid of any discription looks like, let alone stock one, or even a pair maybe. There has to be a better way. 8)

Hi Michelle Welcome to the "CLUB". :lol: May your time with us be enjoyable and informative, and most of all "FUN".

Good Luck with breeding them. I havent seen them for about 30 years, but I never owned any. They have been in the country before but I'd be real keen to get a couple of pairs now. Keep me in mind for some of the offspring. :lol:

Hi Yep, but you live upside down and back the front to us down under. :lol:

Hi all It was a SAD DAY way back in 1963 when it was announced that some of the livebearing fish had been "Species" crossed in a laboratory in Florida.. To This Day I believe it was "AXELROD and HIS team". It'll take a lot to convince me otherwise. :oops: As I've grown up over the years and read (and still have ) many books on the subject "Pisces"; each and every species has it's own specific style and shape of reproductive organs so as interspecies crosses can not happen. :roll: They could be brought about with "MANUAL HUMAN ASSISTANCE" :evil: I suppose it could be said that it was the forerunner of today's modern miracles of Stem Cell cultivation, DNA testing and all that other scientific stuff. FOR ME AND MY "ANCIENT FUDDY DUDDY WAYS", (WITHOUT BRINGING RELIGION INTO THIS) I THINK WE SHOULD JUST LET NATURE TAKE IT'S OWN EVOLUTIONARY COURSE AND KEEP OUR STICKY INQUISITIVE NOSES AND HANDS OFF WHAT NATURE DOES BEST.

Hi Aust. :oops: or is it Australae now? :lol: Enjoy your time there man. Also check out some of the rivers with a net around North Sydney. You'll be suprised at the number of "RAINBOW'S" you find. Cheers Errol

Welcome aboard. It's good to see another new name and face in the forums.

Hi All Thanks for the congaties. Piccy of mummy Altum. (check out my AVATAR) 8) it's hard to get up close and personal with my cheapie camera but a piccy of the fry at 9 weeks old. Hatched 02-08-06. .

Hi all thanks for the congrats. I hope its not unfounded. I'll try and pull up a piccy. This tank has a mixture of Koi, Blushing and Marble with some Altum x Koi.

Talk about the invasion of the earthby spiders. I've got an invasion of the fish room with angel fish. :roll: I know it's Spring and all that stuff, and I can usually spawn to order with the appropriate temperature rise and lower, and a bucket of rain water and end up with enough fish for a few months of sales, but this has turned ridiculous.. It's gone mad. :oops: I spawned the Altum's (GENUINE) on purpose, and thought, that's cool. Then the Blushing Angels got in on the act; next the Koi decided it was their turn and now, not to be outdone in the breeding stakes, my Black Veiltails have decided parenting is a good option for them as well. And I didnt mention the Marble's that are in the process of having a tug of love. I aint feeding them to the kribs or the inconspicua either so will just have to rear them. Look us up in 16 - 20 weeks and I'll do you a special deal on any amount between 1 and one thousand.